LPI Community Experts

The Latino Policy Institute (LPI) is a non-profit organization committed to generating and communicating non-partisan data on Latinos in Rhode Island. This is an extension beyond reports that brings important topics to life.

All Posts for LPI Community Experts

Providence, R.I. - Like legends, their names are ubiquitous. Talk to anyone about Rhode Island’s in-state tuition policy for undocumented students and it’s doubtless they’ll pop up in the conversation. In Italy, all roads might lead to Rome, but in Rhode Island, all roads lead to Michelle DePlante and Roberto Gonzalez, the all-star advocates for Rhode Island immigrants.

Both worked with the Coalition of Advocates for Student Opportunities (CASO) to promote the policy change that allows undocumented students to pay the in-state tuition price at public universities. DePlante says the process was “pretty contentious and long,” while Gonzalez opines it was “very frustrating.”